169 Nepalis arrive from UAE; 26 arrive from Myanmar

Kathmandu / June 5: A total of 169 Nepalis including an infant arrived at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday.

An Air Arabia aircraft that departed from the UAE on Friday brought back the Nepalis who were working and living in the UAE. “168 adults and an infant were onboard the flight that landed at the TIA at 5:25 PM,” said Debendra KC, general manager at TIA. “The aircraft departed from the TIA at 7:00 PM with 5,518 kilograms of cargo.”

According to KC, the passengers will be taken to a holding area prepared by the government and later will be shifted to the provincial quarantines. Similarly, two military aircraft from Myanmar brought 26 Nepalis to Nepal and left with 43 passengers and some cargo earlier today.

A total of 195 Nepalis returned home from airways on Friday after the government decided to bring back Nepalis from abroad. Those who have lost their jobs, those who have been asked to stay on long unpaid leave, whose contracts and visas are past the expiry date, and those who are having a difficult time due to COVID-19 will be prioritized in the first phase of evacuation from abroad. Despite the government’s decision, the flights on Friday were not sponsored by the Nepali government.

26 Nepalis Evacuated From Myanmar

Kathmandu, June 5: As the first batch in the campaign to evacuate Nepalis stranded abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, 26 Nepalis have been brought home from Myanmar today.

They have been kept at the holding center at Bashundhara of the capital city.

A military plane of Myanmar air force that took off at 8:38 am from Myanmar landed at TIA in Nepal at 11 am, according to TIA spokesperson Dev Chandra Lal Karna.

The Government has taken initiative to bring in Nepalis in urgent need to return home but stranded abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic and resultant cancelation of commercial international flights.